[center] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/23fb834f443fddf069b302a80ffae13a.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/713c9ea7f90a3bccf2680492bc93671a.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/bcf4c8fb894d886cf1f86d12d903935e.png[/img] Mentions: [@Tae] Saiya [/center] Alidasht? Sjan-dehk was certain he had heard that name before. Mostly in passing – and quickly glossed over – during several of the interminable meetings aboard the [i]Sudah[/i]. Finding Sorian had been their only concern back then, and so what little details Sjan-dehk knew about Alidasht was sparse. Far too sparse for a place he was to visit at some point during this expedition. Perhaps it was fortunate, then, that he should – quite literally – bump into a lady hailing from there. Sjan-dehk would be a fool to let this chance to learn a little more about the nations of this part of the world give him the slip. What was he thinking? Here he was, having just caused her an inconvenience – a minor one, granted, but an inconvenience nonetheless – and his first thoughts were of personal gain. Vulgar and unbecoming of a proper officer, as his previous captain would’ve said. [color=1E90FF][i]“Wasun Sjan-dehk of Viserjanta.”[/i][/color] A slight flush tinged his cheeks as he introduced himself with a hand on his chest and a slight bow at the waist. [color=1E90FF][i]“Captain of [/i]Sada Kurau[i]. Fourth lesser marquis of Jafi.”[/i][/color] He stood up straight. [color=1E90FF][i]“It is my pleas-”[/i][/color] The redness of his face deepened when his tongue came a little too close to his teeth for the syllable. He bowed once more, this time out of embarrassment more than anything else, and tried again. [color=1E90FF][i]“My ah…Pleasure to meet you, your ladyship.”[/i][/color] The tittering and vague whispers behind him didn’t escape his notice. Mere ladies’ gossip, he had initially thought, and thus none of his concern. Then he noticed the faded, but still angry scars on her arms, the angriest of which her slender fingers glided along. Though he tried his best to avert his eyes, Sjan-dehk couldn’t help but glance at them. Whatever Saiya had survived, it had to have been savage, extensive and varied as the scars were. If Sjan-dehk knew nothing else about her, that alone was worthy of some modicum of his respect. There was also her smile. It was lovely, but it pulled at corners of her lips and not her eyes. For a moment, Sjan-dehk was reminded of a phrase his mother often used: ‘the skin laughs but the flesh does not’. Only then did he start trying to pick out words from the murmurs. [i]“...Hideous…”[/i] [i]“...Horror…”[/i] [i]“...Grotesque…”[/i] He quickly put it all together, and felt indignation swell in his chest. Just who did these people think they were, to slander another in their presence? As if they were naught but air? Well, if they wanted to speak of horrors and monsters so badly, then Sjan-dehk would happily oblige. It was perfect timing, too. He had almost chewed his tongue to pulp with the king earlier. Here, he had no such scruples to worry about. [color=1E90FF][i]“Please excuse me.”[/i][/color] He gave Saiya a friendly smile, and kept that smile on his face as best he could as he turned around to face the women. The ones directly before him stopped their gossiping. Clearly, they hadn’t considered that someone might find their unsavoury talk displeasing. [color=1E90FF][i]“If you ah…Dislike scars so much, then do not look. Simple, no?”[/i][/color] With a hand, he mimed a plucking motion, as if he were pulling an invisible grape from its vine. [color=1E90FF][i]“Or remove your eyes. No eyes, no need to see, yes? But one is easier. Not much pain.”[/i][/color] Some of the women covered their mouths in shock. Anxious whispers rippled through the crowd and the atmosphere tensed. Sjan-dehk wasn’t feeling much of it, however. In fact, it took much of his restraint to not burst out laughing. Did they really think he would gouge out their eyes? That was only reserved for criminals somewhere close to the highest order. A few pairs of eyes gazed at his waist, and Sjan-dehk realised that he had unwittingly rested his hand on its usual resting spot, the pommel of his sword. He snapped it away and chuckled at his mistake. [color=1E90FF][i]“Ah, not a threat. Worry not. Just advice, yes?”[/i][/color] More than a few mouths opened to speak, but before any words could make it past their lips, Sjan-dehk held up a finger to shush them. [color=1E90FF][i]“No need to speak. I am not good with your language. Will not understand. Should be careful with words. Tongues. Like weapons, yes? Use it ah…Without care, and lose it.”[/i][/color] He regarded every pair of eyes that looked at him with a smile. It did more to unsettle the crowd than it did to reassure them, and Sjan-dehk himself didn’t quite know which was his aim. [color=1E90FF][i]“That is very bad. You, me, do not want that, yes? So better to be quiet now.”[/i][/color] Keeping his eyes on the women, he shifted his body and stepped to the side. [color=1E90FF][i]“You want to talk? Then you apologise to her.”[/i][/color] He gestured to Saiya, and only then did the smile disappear from his face, and he didn’t look at the women as much as he glared at them. [color=1E90FF][i]“Or else, shut your fucking mouths. And we leave.”[/i][/color] On a very deep level, Sjan-dehk felt a tinge of guilt. Did the women deserve some comeuppance for their unrepentantly mean words? Certainly. Was this an overreaction on his part? More like than not. It wasn’t going to do him any favours, of that he was sure of. He just hoped this wouldn’t come back to haunt the trade mission as a whole. These women were just in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Though he had to be honest, putting a bunch of rude nobles in their place felt as good as it always was. Well, it was too late to worry about that. Words spoken can never be retrieved, and Sjan-dehk would have to live with whatever consequences that came with them. One thing was certain, however; whether he liked it or not, this Viserjantan captain had likely made his way into many a gossip circle.